- Date
- August 16, 2015, 11:00 local (18:00 UTC)
- Place
- Los Angeles, CA
- Injuries
- 1 uninjured
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Phase of flight
- Landing
- Aircraft
- N13HKCessna 177B
- Defining event
- Landing: Hard landing
- Weather
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Status
- Completed · report October 8, 2015
- Report
- Approved by Office Director
- NTSB office
- General Aviation Accidents
- Parties
- FAA
- FAA report
- 20150816023589A
- Case key
- 91920
From the NTSB’s public API. By law, NTSB reports can’t be used as evidence in lawsuits over the accident.
On this page
Probable cause
The pilot's failure to maintain pitch control during the landing, resulting in a hard landing.
Findings · 2
NTSB’s coded findings. Those marked are part of the probable cause; the rest are factors or other findings. Under each, the cases with the same finding.
Sequence of events
The events NTSB coded, in order, by phase of flight. The defining event is the one that best describes the accident. Under each, the cases with the same event anywhere in their sequence.
Analysis
The pilot reported that the airplane porpoised three times on the second landing, and bounced once on the third and final landing. He reported that while taxing to the fuel pump, he noticed that he had a "flat tire" on the nose wheel. During a postaccident examination of the engine and airframe, substantial damage to the firewall was discovered. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Factual narrative
The pilot reported that the airplane porpoised three times on the second landing, and bounced once on the third and final landing. He reported that while taxing to the fuel pump, he noticed that he had a "flat tire" on the nose wheel. During a postaccident examination of the engine and airframe, substantial damage to the firewall was discovered. The pilot reported there were no pre-impact mechanical failures or malfunctions with the airframe or engine that would have precluded normal operation.
Aircraft
- Registration
- N13HK
- Reported as
- Cessna 177B (B)
- Category
- Airplane
- Serial number
- 17701810
- Built
- 1972
- Airframe hours
- 5,300
- Engine
- Lycoming O-360, 180 horsepower, reciprocating
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Personal · Part 91
- Operator
- Skycombers Flying Club Inc
- Registered owner
- Skycombers Flying Club Inc
- Airworthiness certificate
- Standard, Utility; Standard, Normal
- Last inspection
- Annual · February 1, 2015
- Departed
- WHP · Los Angeles, CA
- Destination
- WHP · Los Angeles, CA
- Flight plan
- Company VFR
- Airport
- WHP · Whiteman, runway 12, 4,120 × 75 ft, asphalt
- Equipment
- Handheld GPS
Matched to the registry by N-number and the event date; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.
Flight crew
As NTSB recorded them. NTSB leaves out names.
- Role
- Pilot
- Age
- 56
- Injuries
- None
- Certificate
- Private
- Airplane ratings
- Single-engine land
- Medical
- Class 3, With waivers/limitations
- Last flight review
- October 6, 2013
- Seat
- Left
- Restraint
- 3-point
- Flight hours
- 230 total · 13 in this make and model · 230 as pilot in command · 1 in the last 90 days · 1 in the last 30 days
Weather
- Conditions
- Visual (VMC) · Day
- Wind
- 140° at 5 knots
- Visibility
- 20 statute miles
- Temperature
- 93 °F, dew point 41 °F
- Altimeter
- 29.93 inHg
- Observed at
- KWHP
Docket · 2
The files NTSB released with the investigation on October 6, 2015, on NTSB’s docket system: statements, records, photos and specialists’ reports. 5.9 MB in all.
FAA reports on this event · 1
The FAA’s own accident and incident reports, matched to the aircraft by N-number and date.